2015 Nissan Murano Teased Ahead of New York Debut

Nissan's Mid-Market Crossover Gets LEDs, Bolder Styling

Although it doesn't receive much credit or recognition sometimes, the Nissan Murano is significant in being one of the first crossovers on the market and certainly one of the first that deliberately shunned a trucklike design and character for a more fashion-forward, carlike profile. Now on the cusp of the third-generation model, we get a tease of the 2015 Nissan Murano in the form of a headlight detail shot. Obviously, the first element that stands out is LED accent lighting, as on the 2014 Rogue. It also shows headlight detailing similar to the Maxima’s, with a notched corner detail.

The fundamental elements of the Murano are expected to carry over, namely the bread-and-butter VQ35DE 3.5-liter V-6 and CVT automatic transmission. However, we could see a hybrid model powered by the supercharged 2.5-liter I-4 used in the Pathfinder hybrid. The engine and transmission may be carrying over, but expect both to be fine-tuned to optimize fuel economy, and expect an increase in fuel economy, especially on the highway, where the current model achieves an unremarkable 23 or 24 mpg for the all-wheel and front- drive models, respectively.

The 2014 Nissan Rogue received an optional third row with its redesign, but the 2015 Murano is expected to remain strictly a five-passenger, with the larger Pathfinder filling in for seven-passenger duty. The 2015 Nissan Pathfinder will be officially revealed at the New York auto show on April 16.